cases. >> c-span, or history of. 1979 c-span was created as a public service. today we continue to bring you unfiltered coverage of congress, the white house, the supreme court, and public policy events at washington, d.c. and around the country. >> this week on the communicators, visit to capitol hill and the hack -athon. seminar to trade ideas on how to use technology in congress. >> host: now we want to introduce you to steve, one of the organizers of a congressional act upon. what you do for a living?

i work in the state of maryland and handle things digital technology both technology policy and -- for all house democrats. >> host: what did you come up with this idea. >> guest: we first had this idea in 2011. the idea was to bring technologists from companies and have a big open event and invite everyone to the capital. we had a lot of pizza and stayed late. we had an open format to brainstorm and tried to work towards improving congress. >> host: what kind of ideas came out of that? >> there is a big focus on releasing legislative data in readable format. that's been a big push. it was a problem in the legislative branch. we have this data on certain websites but other websites

didn't use that. due to that it took a couple years but we could release bulk data. that's released apps and other things that use them in innovative ways. >> host: us is accessible to the american public? >> yes. this event in the bulk data is open and free to the american public. >> host: i heard a lot of talk throughout the seminar about open, transpor transparent and transforming. what's the transforming part? >> guest: we don't move as fast as business. we have catching up to do. it's not that hard. i find it exciting. his many changes you can make modeled off of changes in

private industry to make government congress more efficient and bring it up to speed. if it's transformative. when you digitalize processes and dislikes and casework it saves staff time and makes it more user available for the public. you can really make a differen difference. >> host: reliving that a time of cyber security and hacking and privacy, how do you address that? >> guest: security is always a concern. it's always there no matter what you do, but it shouldn't stop you from improving a modernizing system. you have to always consider security is a major part. i see it as a checkbox not a bear. >> i think the u.s. spends about $80 billion. here in technology, if you could

reassess that spending how would you spend? >> a lot spent on legacy systems notated systems that are insecure and costly. in order to upgrade the system it takes money up front. it is an area that my boss mr. mccarthy talked about. it is a way to invest in upgrading. if we spend money to upgrade the system will pay dividends in the long run. >> host: how has this changed the ability of congress to put its proceedings on facebook or any platform? >> another accomplishment was a big push to do everything on web video but standardize them. the committees all broadcasts the hearings but in different

formats and ways inconsistently. it became part of the house rules where all have to have standardized videos. >> what about the senate, or them for? >> guest: they are on board. there's a number of senate staffers on board here. we like to think that we move faster in the house but that's in good fun. >> host: what's in the role of the cloud? >> guest: that's where we are moving. private industry is there. there's efficiencies to be had a money to be saved. security has to be worked through and it's a concern but it's not a barrier. >> host: is congress -- how many apps are available from congress right now. >> guest: i just gave a description of an app that are agency just built and i probably know of ten others focused on

congress used by staff. there popping up everywhere making it a better place to work. >> is the american place responding to this digital age? >> absolutely. the number of e-mails is far higher this year than in years combined. so the public is speaking out loudly. >> host: is this an event where bipartisanship is important? >> guest: absolutely. i'm a democratic staffer but i get more satisfaction out of doing this work because it's entirely bipartisan. i have great partners on the republican side who helped put this together.

it is rewarding. there's no partisanship or. we are all technologists trying to improve congress. >> host: thank you very much. >> in my business being called the hack is not very great. however, having said that in your lexicon it's a skill, an asset to have. this is one of the most exciting and important events we host. what transpires here has the potential to transform congress in the country and to some degree our democracy. i'm glad it is a truly bipartisan endeavor. i think my cohost will be here momentarily. majority leader, kevin mccarthy and his staff for working closely with me and my staff on the previous hack a fine event in today. i think and remember eric who is

the majority leader who is my partner of the original hack -athon and 2011. we care deeply about this great institution and its ability to serve the american people. it does not always operate perfectly, but compared to the other parliamentary bodies from the world, it reflects very well the sentiments of the american people which sometimes are positive and sometimes not. we reflect those, but we work to elevate and deal with policies that are positive for people. it's important to take a step away for the partisan back and forth to find ways to come together to engage the public in a positive way to make congress

more open and transparent. the more the people know the better our democracy will be. we welcome innovators to the capital. we cannot predict what will emerge from conversations today. we can be sure that great ideas will come together and inspire new and innovative projects both inside and outside of congress. we've come a long way from when we first came in su when we could update bill thomas.gov website. we've seen the emergence of congress.gov, the release of open source data. in the creation of a bipartisan modernization task force. we witness great change off of capitol hill. launch of new technology tools and platforms that connect citizens with their leaders in a way never before imagined.

i don't think i have to tell you that -- is having some effect on our democracy. i want to ask you to raise your hand on whether that's a positive or negative affect. the truth is, on the profound truth is that is having a marked difference. i've been working to bring the democratic caucus up-to-date with the latest technology. i continue to run the house social media contest each summer. this year started an intensive digital training program that we call the digital economy. it will not surprise you that steve oversees that. we graduated 50 staffer so far this year. we continue to have an innovative digital platform that allows anyone to enter staffer

to submit recommendations. it's already made a difference. last spring my office launched a major update to the popular app which has 5000 active users including members, staff and people off the hill who can use the app for live votes. if you have an interest, and i hope you do you should add this to your phones and other devices. all of these efforts both bipartisan and within our parties have the same goal. helping restore faith in government by making a more transparent, more accessible to those we serve and more effective. i spoke at length in recent years about renewing america's faith in government.

as a force for saving problems and improving lives. new technologies afford us a chance to do with so in ways unimaginable. as much as were proud of the achievements there a small step on the march for progress. relentless sounds like it's a long time but for those who deal with technology know the steps are very quick and change rapidly. if you are [inaudible] top of it on a daily basis you may be out of date. i marvel at how new innovations will transform congress over the next several years. excited to be a part of the transformation along with leader mccarthy.

i'm excited to see that i bipartisan legislation is expected to be signed into law this week. i think leader mccarthy for facility facilitating that. this law authorizes the creation of a fund to finance major system upgrades across the federal government. work is long overdue. some agencies are using decades-old system to handle sensitive information. the fund is self-sustaining and has the latest technology. spaced on a model in the private sector. we will be better able to serve the american people were quickly, safely, and a currently. it's critical when cyber threat is looming large. i hope we can continue our work

and push for the full capitalization of this one subcritical system upgrades can begin soon. i look forward to hearing new ideas that emerge from the shares hack upon. i think you for being here and taking the time to help us in our citizens. work to improve our institution and now, i'll introduce you to a friend of mine, he's a republican, democrat. but we share in appellation and, with most if not all of you. we are americans. that is the most compelling facets of our identity. we are americans.

as such we believe we need to work together to make this institution work better for all americans. to lead them to have more trust and faith in the institution on which the quality of their lives lies in the success of their country. is a former leader in the california simply which is to say the seventh largest country in the world. he has great experience before he got here. elected shortly after he got here is the web of the republican party, now the majority leader. kevin mccarthy. >> i want to see government that effective efficient and accountable.

it helps all of america. there are opportunities on a bipartisan basis. we created the innovation initiative. we only look at legislation that can help move the criteria. unless congress we had about a year passed about 37 bills. 218 is the magic number on the floor. the average world of ours was more than 320 votes. we said let's just write a good bill that helps america. you know what happens? it's not partisan. the very last bill that president barack obama signed was the first bill signed into law for this congress. most bills he signs at the white house, he cited in the capital 20 minutes before he was no longer president. is my bill called the talent to act. if are really going to be able to make government change and

move in this new economy we won't be successful with the people who are already here. let's create a peace corps for technology. the ability that someone can come from tech and come into government for your help us. this week i met with the washington white house fellows in all different agencies. from nih to the virginia and others trying to solve the problem. they come to help us to learn to make it happen. in order to just talk about it nobody ran for congress campaigning on that. it's one of the most essential things that will happen. we spend $80 billion per year in technology. 80% goes to legacy programs. we have allowed people to keep

more of that money to modernize and move forward. it was not easy to get through. we eventually had to put it into a defense bill to get signed. doesn't matter where you come from in life, there's an opportunity for you to help your government. a lot of people say did i start out to run for office? no. i grew up in a small town in bakersfield. i got out of high school and my folks and have much money so i went to a community college. i made a guy that owns a liquor store but is a car dealers license. i talk him into taking me to the l.a. car option and i start

buying and selling cars and flipping them. now, it's illegal but i don't know that. so what do you do you go visit your buddies as i go to the grocery store to cash my check. this is 1985. the day before the lottery started so i do, i buy a lottery ticket to win the lottery. the most he could win was $5000. you're 18 years old, friday night and you just won $5000 in 1985, and your ten minutes away from tijuana. so i come back and take my folks to dinner give my brothers and sisters a hundred bucks and i put all my money into one stock. so next semester that it wasn't go back to school so i went to buy franchise. no one would sell me one, i was too young.

i created my own business, delhi, like subway before subway. i learned three lessons. you're the first to work, lastly, last to be paid. so now i have enough money to pay my way through college and no one in my family finished a four-year degree. i sold my business in the local purse said if you want to be an intern with my local congressman you can apply. i plan he turns me down. i now sit in the seat i couldn't get an internship for. only america could that happen. everybody can be a part in making this government better. doesn't matter where you come

from there is an ability to make something different and stronger than we had before. that's what i am excited about. i want to thank you for your work. a bigger turnout the way of happy for. i was sharing last night the best thing we can do is help a constituent. if a constituent calls me and wants help i need to hang up the phone, get their address send them a release of information and they have to turn it in before i can help them. but ups can drop off a package and they can sign and everything is fine. we now have an electronic mail test so pretty soon it will transform all the district offices. we become more efficient, get better data and become more

accountable. that is what i am looking for for the solutions. >> during the congressional hack upon several breakouts occur. the leader of one is shamus. what was your group and what did you come up with? >> we are the moon check group. how can we skip a generation and make us go from a 19th century institution using 20 century tools. we want upgraded to the 21st century. what we are working on is a congressional digital service. look at the executive branch since state healthcare.golf. it's a generational moonshot in bringing the power of modern technology to congress is what it's about how what our group is working on. >> what are some ideas thrown

out? >> constituent engagement. how do we meaningfully engage when members of congress originally had 29000 constituents and that we have 755,000 each district. the semi- blind change of scale. any needed team to work on it every day. staff are busy, members are busy just keeping things plugged. we need a team of dreamers, engineers and those focused. >> the open foundation is a nonprofit serving those in the legislature. >> at the virtual world in which congress and you could bring people in.

i think you have to think in a big way to overcome this trust problem. it will not be incremental steps. but it can be facilitated by technology. >> i want to point something out, matt lauer came of age during an age when you could become a household name. present bringing this up as we will not have household names anymore. it's hard to make new ones and if you think about congress and the executive branch, congress has branch offices in every community in the country. it is set up and mirrored in a decentralized way. if you add in other advances only in bringing it up because i think congress skips a generation i feel like i can say

this, we could have direct relationship between our constituencies using this infrastructure and we could see in the next ten years and hopefully in our lifetime, congress acting the way we all think it is in social studies class. we are represented by the people in the body. it hasn't been this way and the error broadcast media. they were talking to us and we would write in. we have infrastructure never really possible. i don't want it is just a possibility here but i think this body more than everything else is set up to realize the present and future. >> thank you for taking time out of your day to participate and hack upon.

there's so much going on with social media or legislation assessable and have people track that in real time. how we can have data driver decision-making. it would be political these are all important. thank you very much. >> everyone has different things, when you're trying to do your job was the biggest thing you run into when you're dealing with this? from a process perspective. >> thinking of technology know, what frustrates me is i have my two phones here and i just switch to google tenant trying to learn that.

when i go to my office desktop and try to use it there's a time stuck factor from about 20 or 30 minutes because the recorder they change the password and i do not know what it is. after call the chief and figured out. that's a pain to get into the system. on the government cell phone trying to get through my schedule is also a reset. there's not a lot of rhyme or reason is supposed to happen. they're asking for verification i'm not sure what that is. >> i know you can't use that for official but for personal? >> i do have a password manager that i somewhat understand in

the apple universe. it connects both my laptop, my apple phone and tablet. i was resistant. i do not to apple until i got here. is hanging onto my old android phone. and it would collapse. >> no classified information is on the congressional server. we turn on our phones in the declassified meetings. >> if you want to see more, go to c-span.org and look under series link on the homepage.

>> c-span, where history info stealing. in 1979 c-span was created as a public service by america's cable television company. today we bring you a filter coverage of congress, the white house, the supreme court, and public policy events in washington, d.c. and around the country. c-span is brought to by your cable or satellite provider. >> tonight a landmark cases, a case on capital punishment, greg versus georgia. 1976 troy lee hseien loong ray, convicted armed robbery murder challenges death sentence. his case and for other capital punishment cases were considered by the court. the supreme court ruled against him and establish stricter guidelines for the death

penalty. i guess we'll discuss the case, one of the top legal scholars and professor at harvard law school has argued against the death penalty in the number of cases. can, the legal director of the criminal justice legal foundation advocating in favor of capital punishment. . .